My parents were in debate of which all-girls' college prep school to send me to. I campaigned…read moreheavily for SAA bc the recruiters showed up vibrant, positive, and self-possessed. The other all-girls' school recruit team showed up withdrawn, and resigned.
SAA is a place for ambitious girls, or to make one.
Peers are COMPETITIVE. The '-' and '+' to your 'A' will matter to them. They'll make a stink when they outperform you, or sulk when they didn't perform as well as you.
As a student, you'll get accustom to so many girls being smart, pretty, AND rich. To restate, if you're simply both pretty and rich, this won't be enough for status. High intelligence/high academic performance is valued here.
Know that none of us alumn regret attending here. When I went onto co-ed undergrad, grad school, and the working world, we're all dismayed and astounded by our female peers, who evidently didn't attend an all-girls' college prep run by feminist(s) ...nuns; They'll lower their performance, not go for things, or simply question themselves in moments of alpha male posturing, and such guys' conscious and unconscious inferences to themselves being better than any of us. F*ck that sh*t! [Ahem.]
Your daughter won't be naive to sexism. We get to more lucidly see how sexist boys and men (note: not all boys and men are sexist) get in the way of our own productivity, and ambitious aims.
Because of SAA's relationship w all-boys' prep schools, there's a stark contrast of experiences --5 days a week you're with ambitious, talented, fearless young ladies who enjoy the pursuit of accomplishments. There's no contending w unconscious favoritism invested toward the success of boys in the classroom (wc studies have revealed are present in all manner of teachers). There's no teen marathon to display physical perfection; Cluttering our time --bc exposure to guys is confined to particular classes, lunch, and outside school hrs.
I only applied to U.T. Austin. Luckily I got in. I do regret I didn't pursue my school counselor's recommendation that I apply to Sarah Lawrence College. The ways of public school peers, at U.T. Austin, was a shocker. Including those IB tracked!
I ultimately pursued art, so I'll present what unfolded, thanks to being immersed in the culture of SAA.
After finishing my Psychology degree at U.T. Austin,
I worked for a yr at the State Legislative Council. The sexism (and racism) was high that legislative season. Despite all that drama, it wasn't in the way of my work. Their data showed I was 99% accurate (a.k.a. highest performer). I forgot the next highest performer, but I know it wasn't 98%. Three of the straight women were threatened in some way (mostly job security) by the wounded egos of our male colleagues' unrequited love. For me that was the first conscious moment that I knew no SAA girl would plead for understanding from juvenile, unprofessional men. We handle such people differently.
After that job, I pursued a Fine Arts degree at U.T. Austin. On my arrival, I found that the department's art stars were only guys. I remember noticing all their well-rendered paintings of phallus pleasures and hyperbolized woman-child imagery. Needless to say, I was unimpressed w the ruse of pornographic fantasies contextualized in high art materials. ...I made art that employed my psych. degree and (minor in) sociology, as well as the skills I picked up at the Texas Legislative Council (i.e. reading legalese). By my second yr I won the first unanimously-voted merit award (the most prestigious Fine Art department award at the time). Same semester, I got published into a book that my then-professor also got selected for. I went on to be a Skowhegan Resident, which at the time was the top international art residency in the world. Just under 1% of applicants were accepted my yr. I got to study w Janine Antoni, Glenn Ligon and Kerry James Marshall. --To reiterate, SAA culture positions you well.
I graduated from my dream grad school, Pratt (was #1 pgm att). I also made first cut for the Whitney program, Yale grad pgm, and full acceptance to Columbia U. ...So my four stars for SAA is bc 1. I wish the counselors informed us of the unfair details of an Ivy League. I only declined Columbia bc it was the first yr of a grad art program. I had no idea the cache of "Ivy League" would yield too many benefits to mention here.
Also know, there has never been a year I regret not going to HSPVA. I would choose SAA for every young female in Houston. So would my alumn peers.
SAA's also missing that last star for two more reasons: 2. It is extremely odd that nearly all my peers (and I) married white men. What are we not learning? 3. We need better brother schools. WHY were SJ boys allowed to chant, "TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP...!" at SAA girls, leaving many in tears and most feeling shocked, wholly betrayed and unsafe.
Now my cousin and her SAA alumn peers are politically active college women. Well-versed, intelligent, and ambitious.
